CENTRAL CITY OPERA & CU OPERA PRESENT THEIR 15th ANNUAL OPERA ROCKS THE ROCKIES TOUR NOVEMBER 4th THROUGH NOVEMBER 12th

Denver, Colo. – Central City Opera (CCO) and the University of Colorado (CU) Opera Studies program team up to present the 15th annual Opera Rocks the Rockies tour, kicking off Nov. 4 and running through Nov. 12. A 90-minute program of staged scenes, audiences will enjoy popular arias and ensembles from CCO and CU’s upcoming festival season including Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Puccini’s La Boheme, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Performing for student and community audiences are past participants in Central City Opera’s Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artist Training Program including mezzo-soprano Lindsey Falduto, baritone Samus Haddad and bass baritone, Wu Wei. Recognized as one of the most effective and competitive career-entry training programs in the country, CCO’s Artist Training Program has earned international acclaim. Graduate students in CU’s Opera Theatre program make up the remainder of the roster for the tour and include: soprano, Meagan Mahlberg; soprano, Emily Murdock; and tenor, Eric Dean Waasenaar. 2011 marks the 15th year for Central City Opera’s award-winning touring program and the ninth year of collaboration with CU. Performances and master classes where artists work directly with students will be presented in schools throughout Southeastern Wyoming. Additionally, public community concerts will be held throughout the tour including: Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center (20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker, CO) – Friday, Nov. 4th at 7:30 p.m.; Tickets are $11-19. Tickets can be purchased online at: http://pacecenteronline.ticketforce.com/. Kelly Walsh High School Auditorium (3500 East 12th Street, Casper, WY) Monday, Nov. 7th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $13 for adults, $12 for seniors, $7 for students and teachers, and $5 for those 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased at Ayres Jewelry, Cadillac Cowgirl, Hill Music, The Shade Tree, and Sonic Rainbow. Tickets will also be available at the door. For more information, call ARTCORE at (307) 265-1564. Laramie Plains Civic Center (710 E. Garfield Street, Laramie, WY) – Thursday, Nov. 10th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are FREE, and donations to the Laramie Plains Civic Center Foundation will be accepted at the door. Reserve tickets by visiting: http://www.laramieplainsciviccenter.org/Tickets.aspx South High School (1213 West Allison Road, Cheyenne, WY) – Friday, Nov. 11th at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Sponsored by the Cheyenne Arts Council, tickets can be purchased at Niemann & Sons Music or at Deselms Fine Art in Cheyenne. Tickets will also be available at the door. “We have loved partnering with CU the past eight years, bringing outstanding and talented young artists to communities and schools in Colorado and Wyoming to present fabulous music from opera and musical theater. Not only do the artists gain valuable performance experience, but attendees have an opportunity to be introduced to one of the oldest and most beloved forms of musical theater — opera,” says Central City Opera’s Director of Education and Community Programs, Deborah Morrow. Central City Opera’s Education and Community Programs have visited more than 100 communities across Colorado, reaching approximately 100,000 people each year, making it one of the most active opera companies in the nation in education and community services. The Opera Rocks the Rockies tour of represents Central City Opera’s participation in the third annual National Opera Week from Oct. 28 to Nov. 6, 2011, organized by OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts. Opera has become such a vital part of the American musical fabric that more than 90 companies/organizations from Alaska to Texas, from New York to Los Angeles, and everywhere in-between, will be participating in this special week. A range of programs for the public that demonstrate the allure and accessibility of the original multi-media art form will be available to both opera lovers and newcomers. These events, showcasing the strength and diversity of established companies, community opera ensembles and opera training programs, will range from open houses, lectures/demonstrations and community performances to the presentation of the nation’s highest award in the field, the NEA Opera Honors. For more information on National Opera Week, visit www.operaamerica.org/now. The Opera Rocks the Rockies tour is sponsored in part by Colorado Creative Industries, the National Endowment for the Arts, EnCana, the Harold and Louis Price Foundation, Wells Fargo, Excel Energy and the Wyoming Arts Council. For more information on Opera Rocks the Rockies or Central City Opera’s additional Education and Community Programs, contact Education and Community Programs Director Deborah Morrow at 303-292-6500, ext. 107 or education@centralcityopera.org. For media inquiries, call Publicist Kelly Nelson at 303-909-5716 or kelly@citruspr.com.

New & Noteworthy

The secret to Central City Opera's success: Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program which develops young opera singers to launch their careers. The General/Artistic Director talks about the business and the joy of opera.
This story is from Arts District episode 506.Learn More »